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Our 2006 Men’s Health poster series delivers the results you want in the time you have—with workouts from the world’s top experts. Up ﬁrst: the ultimate chest

NUMBER OF POUNDS THE AVERAGE GUY CLAIMS HE CAN BENCH-PRESS

156

THE PAYOFF
A STRONGER UPPER BODY! The heavy weights you’ll use in this workout develop muscle ﬁbers that produce strength and power. And because your chest is one of your largest muscle groups, this added strength improves performance in many upper-body and total-body lifts. EXTRA MUSCLE! This routine uses several body-weight moves that train stabilizing muscles, in addition to your largest muscles, so you end up working more muscle overall while improving your sense of balance. FEWER CRUNCHES! The pushups and dumbbell single-arm bench press in this routine challenge your core stabilization while building your chest. The result: Your entire midsection works just as hard as in any ab exercise.

1,005 LB
WORLD RECORD FOR THE BENCH PRESS, HELD BY GENE RYCHLAK JR.

BENCHMARK OF SUCCESS

HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?
The best barometer of chest strength is your maximum bench press—the most weight you can lift for a single repetition. To determine your max, you’ll need a spotter. Grab an empty bar and perform 10 repetitions of the barbell bench press. (See the back of this poster for a description.) Rest for 30 to 90 seconds, then add 20 to 40 pounds and repeat. Continue this process until the weight feels difﬁcult. Then do only one repetition per set until you work up to the heaviest weight you can lift once—your one-repetition maximum, or one-rep max.

84
PERCENTAGE OF HIS BODY WEIGHT THAT THE AVERAGE GUY CAN BENCH-PRESS

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Record your one-rep max on this chart. Then follow the plan on the back of this poster and retest yourself every 4 weeks. Go to MensHealth.com/ poster to compare your improvement with that of other Men’s Health readers or to use our one-repmax calculator, if you prefer not to complete this test.

This routine attacks the primary cause of puniness. “The mistake most men make when looking for more chest size and strength is always sticking to the traditional eight-to-12-repetition principle,” says Jason Ferruggia, owner of Renegade Strength and Conditioning, in Warren, New Jersey. Ferruggia’s ﬁrst rule: Diversify your repetition schemes and emphasize heavier-weight, lower-repetition sets. This allows you to target your body’s fast-twitch muscle ﬁbers, the ones with the greatest potential for growth. At times, this workout calls for you to lift only your body weight while in a suspended position. Think gymnasts, who build rock-hard bodies without ever picking up a weight. “Moving your body through space is more taxing to your central nervous system than regular weight training,” says Ferruggia. This means you’ll improve your brain-to-muscle connection, which will train your body to recruit more muscle in every exercise. Do Phase 1 for 4 weeks, working your chest twice a week with two separate routines (Day 1 and Day 2). (Do the exercises shown here as the chest portion of your upper- or total-body routine.) Rest at least 2 days between workouts. Complete Phase 2 workouts in the next 4 weeks.

PERCENTAGE OF MEN WHO HAVE BEEN PINNED ON A BENCH BY A LOADED BARBELL BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T USE A SPOTTER

22

NUMBER OF PUSHUPS THE AVERAGE GUY CAN DO

41

DAY 1

DAY 2

PHASE

WEEKS 1-4

1

Dumbbell Single-Arm Bench Press
Lie on your back on a bench with a heavy dumbbell in one hand along the side of your chest, palm facing in. Hold your opposite arm straight out to the side for balance. Push the weight up so your arm is straight above your chest. Pause, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. The plan: Do ﬁve to seven repetitions with each hand. Complete four sets, resting 2 minutes after each set.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Lie faceup on an incline bench and hold a pair of heavy dumbbells along the outsides of your chest with a neutral grip (palms facing in). Slowly press the weights straight above your chest. Pause, then lower them to the starting position. The plan: Perform six to eight repetitions. Do three sets and rest 2 minutes after each set.

Suspended Pushup
If your gym has Blast Straps (elitefts.com, $55) or chains, try this pushup variation. Otherwise, do the weighted pushup below. Loop the straps or chains around the bar so the handles hang a few inches off the ﬂoor. Now assume the standard pushup position with your hands grasping the handles, so only your feet touch the ﬂoor. Bend at the elbows to lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the ﬂoor, then push yourself up. The plan: Do as many pushups as you can, then rest for 90 seconds. Do a total of three sets.

Dumbbell Incline Fly
Lie on an incline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest with your arms straight, palms facing forward. Keeping your palms forward, slowly sweep your arms down and out to your sides in an arc until the weights are level with your chest. Pause, then reverse the motion until the weights are once again above you. The plan: Perform this exercise as a superset with the next move. That is, do eight to 12 repetitions of the dumbbell incline ﬂy, then immediately move to the parallel-bar dip.

ParallelBar Dip
Grab parallel dip bars and lift yourself so your arms are straight. Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body, slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ﬂoor. Pause, then push yourself up to the starting position. The plan: Do as many reps as you can, then rest for 3 minutes and repeat the superset one time, performing a total of two sets of each exercise.

Side-Lying Single-Arm External Rotation
Lie on your left side with your left arm bent and your head resting on your left hand. Holding a light dumbbell in your right hand, bend your right arm 90 degrees and tuck your upper arm against your right side. Let the weight hang in front of your midsection. Keeping your upper arm stationary, slowly rotate your forearm until it points toward the ceiling. Then rotate your forearm back to the starting position. The plan: Perform 12 to 15 repetitions, then rest for 1 minute. Do two sets.

DAY 1

DAY 2

PHASE

Barbell Bench Press
Lie on a bench with your feet ﬂat on the ﬂoor. Grab the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and hold the weight over your chest. Pull your shoulder blades back and together, then lower the bar to your chest. (Tuck your elbows in at 45 degrees; don’t let them ﬂare out to the sides.) Pause, then push the weight back up. The plan: Do ﬁve sets of four repetitions using 80 percent of your one-rep max (1RM). In week 6, do six sets of three reps with 85 percent of your 1RM. In week 7, do ﬁve sets of two reps with 90 percent of your 1RM. In week 8, repeat the test described on the front of the poster, then do four sets of one repetition with approximately 90 percent of your new 1RM.

Weighted Pushup
Assume the standard pushup position, with your hands beneath your shoulders. Ask your workout partner to place a weight plate on your back, between your shoulder blades. Keeping your body straight, lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest touches the ﬂoor. Pause, then push yourself back up. The plan: Perform this exercise as a superset with the next move: Do eight to 12 repetitions, then immediately move on to the cable lying ﬂy.

Cable Lying Fly
Place an exercise bench between the stacks of a cable crossover station and attach stirrup handles to the lowpulley cables. Grab a handle with each hand and lie faceup on the bench with your feet ﬂat on the ﬂoor. Hold your arms straight above your chest, palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower your hands out to your sides in an arc, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position. The plan: Do eight to 10 repetitions, rest 150 seconds, then repeat the superset (pushup and cable lying ﬂy) two times for a total of three sets.

Seated Single-Arm External Rotation
Sit on the ﬂoor with your left knee bent and your right leg ﬂat on the ﬂoor. Hold a light dumbbell in your left hand and rest your left elbow on your left knee. Bend your left arm 90 degrees and allow the weight to hang down over your right leg. Keeping your elbow in place, slowly rotate your left arm upward. Pause when your forearm points to the ceiling, then reverse the motion until the weight is again hanging over your right leg. The plan: Do 10 to 12 repetitions with each hand, then rest 60 seconds. Repeat one time, for a total of two sets.

WEEKS 5-8

2

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